What Halloween Figure are you??

Hello, my happy friend. You have high spirits and
know how to have a good time. When your friends
go out, most likely they invite you almost all
the time. You most likely will enjoy your
Halloween. Good for you. Keep up the
experiment. You probably light people's dark
days with your smiles and laughter. Although
you're good, doesn't mean you're an angel. You
can tend to have a scary and/or other type of
side to you. As long as you have fun, do your
scares this Halloween. Have a safe and happy
one, Joyous Pumpkin.


What Halloween Figure Are You? (Fun Quiz! MANY RESULTS!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Whatever......

Found via SilverBlue.

100 Things about me

Well, I have read a lot of "100 things about me" lately, so I figured I'd give it a try. I will also put this up on the About Me page.

1. I am usually happy.
2. Some say I am in a bad mood in the morning, but mostly I am not.
3. I was born in East Germany and lived there until I was ten years old.
4. We left the "legal" way, but it took my parents about 5 years.
5. I lived in the US for over four years and I love it.
6. I want to be an American.
7. My husband is in the US Navy!
8. I have a really cool job.
9. This is my first job out of college.
10. I am an evil stepmom too.
11. Although I am not really that evil.
12. I was very sick when I was little. I had to go to hospital every week.
13. Catheters hurt very bad.
14. Now I am very healthy.
15. I love my family.
16. I though I would be better at writing this, but I seem to be very boring.
17. I am going to be a homeowner soon.
18. I wanted to become a doctor when I started College. I even was in the pre-med program as a Chemistry major.
19. But then I didn't like Chemistry anymore, so I switched to International Business.
20. But now I am not even doing anything with that either.
21. I was also an IT minor.
22. I would like to become a certified translator and work from home.
23. But I don't really know how to exactly do that, because there seem to be lot of Associations out there.
24. One day we will move to Germany!
25. I can't wait.
26. But that is more because of my family and friends. I like living in the US too.
27. I can't believe I still have 73 to go!
28. I can't believe the Yankees lost the World Series either.
29. I was a bad teenager.
30. I did a lot of stupid things, but I don't regret anything about it.
31. I like to travel.
32. I have been to 14 countries and 4 continents.
33. Since we got married we have not been on a real vacation.
34. We either go to Germany or to Florida. Visiting family.
35. We will be in Florida for Thanksgiving.
36. I do all the finances at home.
37. I love it. I love paying bills too.
38. I thought about becoming a CPA for a while.
39. But then I thought, that this would not be too much fun.
40. I could work by myself all day if I had to.
41. I don't like dealing with people.
42. I hate giving presentations.
43. I don't ever want to do that again.
44. But I am not really shy.
45. Sometimes get in trouble for saying what I feel.
46. When I get pissed off I usually mumble something in German but sometimes I just say what I feel in English.
47. So far, I did not get hurt.
48. I think I am a cool wife.
49. I love to watch Sports on TV.
50. I like to go to bars with my husband.
51. I like to play pool, but I suck at it.
52. We are going to get a pool table when we move into the new house!
53. I can cook too.
54. I baked an apple cake this weekend.
55. Mostly my husbands cooks though, because he usually comes home before I do.
56. I hate wearing makeup. It just feels like dirt on my face.
57. When we go out I put some on.
58. I don't like doing my hair either.
59. But I don't look like a guy.
60. I used to have very long, blond hair.
61. Then I cut it short. Very short.
62. Now I am letting it grow again.
63. This list is very boring.
64. I always walk very fast.
65. I can't help it. It just happens.
66. I used to run track.
67. I hate it when people take up all of the sidewalk and walk way too slow. Go to the park!
68. I also can't stand people that don't have any concern for others.
69. There are a lot of things I don't like about people.
70. I get upset about stupid teenagers getting pregnant or becoming criminals.
71. My step kids are all teenagers. They are horrible!
72. Well, not all and not always, but it seems like this.
73. We count the years until they are 18.
74. But we still love them. They just make it very hard.
75. Some laws and school regulations piss me off.
76. My stepson has Septo-Optic Dysplasia, (S.O.D.). He is blind and is mentally retarded.
77. He is the coolest kid in the world.
78. He is trying harder than any of the "normal" kids. So, who is the retard?
79. I hate when people use that word to call each other names.
80. I am almost done with this.
81. I love to eat.
82. Cheese is my favorite.
83. I hate olives.....
84. I hate anything fat-free. I need real food.
85. I also like to drink, but not getting drunk.
86. I usually have beer (or two) when I get home. Or wine.
87. I smoke too.
88. But I am pretty healthy.
89. I don't ever get sick (knock on wood) anymore.
90. I don't think I sound very attractive but think I am.
91. I am tiny person. Petite.
92. But I am still fairly young.
93. I have a tattoo that I got in New York.
94. I also have a couple of piercings, but nothing really exciting.
95. When I was 15 I pierced my own belly button. Three times, because it never looked right.
96. Now everybody has them.
97. By the time I was 17 I was done doing drugs.
98. I had a really bad experience and then I quit everything.
99. I am happy I did.
100. I am so glad I am done with this, although it is just starting to get interesting...

Completely unmotivated

That would be me.
I have no energy whatsoever.
It is this weather. So cold and yesterday it was rainy and gray all day. Horrible.
I have tons of things that I would like to post but I just don't want to get up and actually write it all down.
Coffee doesn't help and I did get enough sleep last night.
I hate Fall and inter. I am a Summer person.

BOOH!!!

Just read this on Ananova. It seems that Russia didn't quite get the hang of democracy yet.

Brain Drain

Gerade im Spiegel gelesen:
Mehr Dumme im Osten (und Ostfriesland).....

Halte dieser "brain drain" an, so der aus Hamburg stammende Forscher, bestehe die Gefahr, dass künftig einige Kommunen Brandenburgs hauptsächlich von "arbeitslosen Stadtdeppen ohne Chance auf Paarbeziehungen" bevölkert würden.

Hmmm......

Another boring house update...

Well, you'll be hearing a lot of those in the next few months, years....whatever.
I just talked to my husband and....they dug the hole!!!!! Probably some time next week they will get the foundation all set.
Cool, huh?

Well, that's it for me.
Enjoy your weekend.

Meyers Briggs Personality Test

That's me!

Introverted (I) 51.28% Extroverted (E) 48.72%
Sensing (S) 64.71% Intuitive (N) 35.29%
Thinking (T) 61.11% Feeling (F) 38.89%
Judging (J) 67.65% Perceiving (P) 32.35%

ISTJ - "Trustee". Decisiveness in practical affairs. Guardian of time- honored institutions. Dependable. 11.6% of total population.

Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Found via Director_Mitch

Friday Five

1. Name five things in your refrigerator.
I have milk (2%), eggs, cheese (Gouda), heavy cream, and yogurt. Of course there is lots more, but that is the most important stuff. I love dairy products.

2. Name five things in your freezer.
Let's see. It's kind of empty right now. There are fries in there, chicken, chicken wings, probably some steaks....Oh, and a bottle of "Bismarck", which is a German clear Schnaps, or whatever. My husband drinks that stuff, but not me! Again, I am sure that I have some frozen vegetables in there too.

3. Name five things under your kitchen sink.
a, I live in a handicapped-accessible house (we call it the Clown-House), so below the sink is NOTHING. Well, I put a shelf there, but nothing is on it.
Does a rug count?

4. Name five things around your computer.
At home, there are two printers, a clock, some bills, and probably some floppies. At work, I have two pictures, some paper work, my coffee cup, and a telephone.

5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet.
Ok, there we have all kinds of pain killers, band-aids, nail clippers, my hand lotion, and some deodorant.

What's up with DC hotels?

OK, I just read this story on the local TV station's website about a Diesel fuel spill in the basement of a DC hotel. One really scary part about this is in the following explanation of why this happened:

Etter said workers thought they were pumping the fuel into a generator, but the generator had been removed.

Don't you check beforehand if the generator is still there?

Ok, on to the story from yesterday where a water main break caused the flooding of another DC hotel's garage.

It seems to me that it is not save anymore to go in the lower levels of some DC hotels.

Die Beste Band der Welt

Nettes Interview mit den Aerzten im Spiegel.
Interessantes ueber die neue Platte Geraeusche. Ich wusste noch nichtmal, dass es eine neue gibt, aber das leigt bestimmt auch daran, dass ich nicht in Deutschland wohne.

What the....

Ok, a couple of days ago or so I posted this, concerning Virginia's discussion whether to close one of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind. I argued against it and gave my arguments in the post.
Now I read this and am thinking to myself, what the hell is going on.
So let's close the School for the Deaf and Blind, because we don't have money for them. Who gives a shit about handicapped people? And then, because all of those poor kids have to go back to their base schools, that can't to shit for them, we decide to close the Special Education Centers.
I wish everyone of those "consulting people" that even think about a suggestion like this need to get another job and a lot more, but I'm not going to mention that here or else I might get arrested for threatening someone....

Star Wars

I just found this article via the Drudge Report.
Now this is very interesting.

Space may become a war zone in the not-too-distant future, a senior US military officer said today, hours after China became only the third country after the US and the former Soviet Union to put a man in space.

There might be some truth to that.
But when I read this:

"They can see that one of the ways that they can certainly diminish our capabilities will be to attack the space systems," said Anderson, who was formerly with US Space Command.

I'd hate to think that this would really happen.....
But maybe I am just naive?

Freak

Just read that on Ananova.
Well, I kind of like Prince, or whatever he calls himself now, but why in the world go door-to-door? I hate those people.
Why do people go crazy like that, like so many other celebrities? Or is that other people go crazy like that too, but we just don't hear about it? Probably.

One less thing....

...to worry about!
Today I mailed off the last payment for something I really wanted 6 months ago. I never thought I would be able to have it, but now I do and my plan worked. It's all mine now (well, and my husband's as well)!
Hmmm...what could it be?

And the Curse continues......

Poor Cubs. I really wanted them to win.
Man, I don't want to be "The Fan" right now. He must feel horrible.
I fell asleep so I didn't watch the end of the game but I guess I didn't really miss anything.
I didn't even watch the end of Game 6 because our power went out.
It just would've been so cool if they made it, but I guess we'll have to wait until next year.

UPDATE: I just read this really interesting article in the Washington Post about curses in Sports. It's really worth taking the time to read it.

New Book

Ok, I finished my last book and am now reading Exterminate All the Brutes by Sven Lindqvist.
I read this book when I went to College and thought it would be interesting to read it again without having to write papers about it.
I am huge fan of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and am looking forward to Lindqvist's view and exploration into European colonialism.

House Update

OK, everything is picked out. Kitchen, bathrooms, everything. The only thing left to do is the wiring. On Sunday we'll sit down and decide where everything goes, like the plugs and lighting, etc. How exciting!
I never thought about all the time this will take up, but it's ok, because it's fun. And after all of that it'll slow down I think. Then we get to start being impatient and driving to the site every day to see how much progress is being made.....

WHY???

do I have to work and everybody else gets to sleep in today?
Who thought that this would be fun?
I am so tired......

Off for the weekend!!!!

Well, I'll guess I'll go home pretty soon.
Nothing to write about.
I hope everybody that reads this (hahahaha) has a nice weekend. Some of you a**holes gets to stay home on Monday, but not me.
I will go and pick out all the carpet and the kitchen and everything else for my new house tomorrow!!!!!
See Ya!

What a perfect match!

Dutton To Play Moose In Sniper Movie

Just go look at those pictures.

The breed of my dog?

Ok, something really weird happened to me yesterday.
I was looking around online to try and get an idea of how much my homeowner's insurance is going to be. So I went to Allstate's site and did the price quote. It has about six steps and the first page is just some general information. They want to know your name, where you live, if you have been an Allstate customer before, and easy things like this. No questions about the house yet. So then I come to the bottom of the page and what questions is there?
What breed is you dog? Please select.!!!!!
First I thought I went to the wrong website, but it was Allsate. Probably some webmaster dude thought it'd be funny to put that in there.
I don't even have a dog.

UPDATE:
Here is the proof

Friday Five

1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
Well, right now it has got to be Baseball, but I am one of those that only watches Baseball in October...
Other than that, I like to watch Soccer, but only international one or German soccer, which I don't get to do very often. The, last but not least, I try to watch Formula One racing, but mostly it is so early on the weekends that I miss it.

2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
Well, I like many teams, but I am a real St. Pauli fan!!!! That's a soccer team in Hamburg, Germany. When I still lived there I went to every game. Six years straight. I still have all my season passes. I love them, and I know they'll be back!

3. Are there any sports you hate?
I hate to say it, but I can't watch women play soccer. It just doesn't look right. I know, I am a woman myself and I even played soccer in High School, but that just looks stupid. Sorry.

4. Have you ever been to a sports event?
Well, of course soccer games. But I don't think I have ever been to any other event. Oh yes, I went to the Le Mans race in DC last year. It was fun.

5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?
Ok, I stated young. I did track and field when I was six. I was very fast and have about 8 medals at home...all Gold and Silver! One time I won the ( I believe) 1000 meter race of all of Berlin! I quit when we moved to Hamburg and then I started playing Handball (???) If you don't know what this is, just go here. I played in a Club and also in School. Then I was also on the school soccer team, basketball team, and on the track team. But then I began to be "coo" and started smoking and then it just wasn't fun anymore. My PE teacher was really upset with me. But I'm still fast as hell.

Ananova - Hunters find 140 shoes filled with butter

Now, that is weird....

Which school to close?

My husband just told me that finally an article was published in the Washington Post about Virginia's problem with its two Schools for the Deaf and Blind.
My stepson goes to the school in Hampton, which serves mainly students that have another disability besides, in our case, blindness. Hence the name: The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton!
The other school in Staunton, Virginia mainly serves students with "only" one disability, which makes it more academically focused than Hampton.

Staunton graduates are expected to go to college or work. About half of Hampton graduates go to work, while the rest move into the care of local agencies or group homes.

The problem is, that Virginia does not have enough money to keep both schools open, so they don't know which school to close.
Some indicate that Hampton has the worse position because it mainly serves African-American students, which I disagree with, not only because my stepson is white but also because I have been to both schools and could clearly see that Staunton couldn't help my stepson in terms of his needs concerning independent living. Staunton refused to take my stepson as a student and send us to Hampton.

So, my question is, how can those two schools be combined? The students should still be separated because of their different needs.

Of course then they have these smart educators that say we don't need any of those schools because:

Federal law requires schools to provide access to children with disabilities. Only if teachers and parents agree that the local system cannot give a child an appropriate education can they consider outside placements.

This has caused some educators from Virginia school districts to say:

Rarely have we made that recommendation," said Billy Ritter, vision specialist for Prince William schools, which sent three of its 188 hearing and visually impaired students to Staunton last year and one to Hampton. "It's both that we're very confident in services for our children and we feel that if students are going to live and function in a community, they should live in that community."

Fairfax County sent three of its 740 hearing or visually impaired students to Staunton last year and seven to Hampton. Those who stay home have a range of options, including classes taught by special teachers, interpreters to accompany them to classes and classes taught in sign language.

Well, that is bulls**t, because how in the world is a disabled child supposed to learn how to live independently, if he or she is still going home at the end of the day where mommy and daddy are making dinner and washing the closes and helping them bathe? Residential schools are the best possibility in those cases.
Now, that argument could mean that Staunton the really doesn't need to be open because those kids know all those things. They are "only" there to be together with other kids alike, which is very important too.

Ideally, both schools should stay open and keep servicing and teaching and teaching both kids, but evidently that is impossible.

I guess, my only concern is that once one school is closed or even both and a new one built, it will be harder for my stepson and his peers to adjust to that new school or even worse that new school simply would not be able to serve them anymore because they are too disabled. Luckily he is old enough to where other options might be available but this is the first time that he has improved so much and seems to be able to be independent, or at least without parents, in the future.

Und Tschuess!

Ich geh jetzt. Hab keinen Bock mehr.
Jetzt hat nun auch mein Wochenende angefangen.

Sonderzug aus Pankow

REUTERS

Gleich ist es soweit....

und ich hab Wochenende!!
Nur noch 40 Minuten und dann bin ich weg.
Das ist die schlimmste Zeit, wenn man nichts mehr richtig macht, weil man wartet, dass die Zeit vergeht und es dauert eine Ewigkeit. Also versucht man sich anderweitig zu beschaeftigen aber alles ist langweilig und so sitzt man bescheuert rum und glotzt auf die Uhr.
Oder man schreibt unsinnige Blogeintraege.

I have an "about me" page now!

It's in the upper left corner. I don't really like how it sits there but I am not in the modd to mess with that right now. So, I will have to do that next week.

Stupid Animal Liberation Front!

I bet that really is how minks are supposed to be treated. They were porbably so relieved after they were "freed".
I'm not syaing "Go out and buy a fur!", but that doesn't make sense either.
What a bunch of idiots.

Canadian PM Mulls Smoking Marijuana When He Retires

Just found that in the Washingtong Post. Interesting. I might have to plan a trip to Canada......

That's what I need

Honeywell QuickHeat Ceramic Heater

I am always cold in my office, even now that FINALLY the heat is on.....
I am cold-blooded.

Tag der Deutschen Einheit

Der Kanzler scheint ja den Feiertag richtig zu geniessen.


© Jochen Luebke/ddp


PS: Dabei faellt mir ein, dass ich einmal Udo Lindenberg getroffen habe.
Das war '96, als ich ein Praktikum im Atlantic Hotel gemacht habe. Da habe ich ihm Fruehstueck an den Pool gebracht! Metwurstbroetchen, oder Hackbroetchen, wie auch immer man das nennt....lecker.

Uebrigens habe ich da auch Iggy Pop gesehen...etwas unbekleidet. Wir mussten Fruchtkoerbe in die Zimmer stellen bevor die Gaeste ankamen, aber er war schon da....er war aber ganz nett. Wir haben immer vorsichtshalber vorher angeklpoft und er macte auf, hat uns dann gefragt ob wir warten koennen, und ist sich dann anziehen gegangen. Dann hat er uns reingelassen und wir haben den bloeden Fruchtkorb hingestellt und sind wieder gegangen...super, ne?

Naja, das hat zwar nichts mit der Deutschen Einheit zu tun, aber egal.

I want to move

At first I thought that buying a new house is really good, because you get a brand-new hosue, but the problem is that you have to wait until it's done (unless you buy it when it's already built).
So, now we know we get this cool house, but we have to wait until March!
Every day, I am going online to pick out furniture and colors in anticipation of the big move. They didn't even dig a hole where our house is supposed to be yet...well, maybe they did, I don't know. But still, the worst thing is that now, that it's getting cold, I would love to have a fireplace, but we don't. The new house has one, but that doesn't really help me now.

But at least we got the house, and after meeting with the loan people, it looks like we can also afford the upgrades, or at least the most important ones. But why do I have to wait? I want it now!

I just need to think positive and try to tell myself that the waiting has a good side to it...I just can't think of one right now.

I'm going out tonight!

Well, it's this time of the year again when I get to go to a ball.
I won't say what kind, but it is tonight and it's military-related.
I don't feel too good today so I hope it'll be fun. Plus, it's so cold that I am really worried I'll get too cold. Last year it was way too cold inside the building. Well, I can't wait. I'll leave work early today so I can go and get my hair done (that sounds very girlish, but I'm not really), well not just because of that but that's another story. And then..... it's time to party!
I love Fridays.

Friday Five

1. What vehicle do you drive?
I drive a metalic blue 2001 Dodge Neon. I love this car. It's my first car that I don't have to share with anybody.

2. How long have you had it?
I bought it in March 2001, so that means I've had for about 2 years and 5 months.

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle?
My radio. I love listen to music. It also has a tape player, which is the best because I have so many old tapes that I listen to and I only get to do it in the car. If I ever buy a new car, I need a tape player.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?.
Right now it's the driver's side head light and blinker. It's flooded and I need it to be fixed (I called yeserday). I got into an accident and after they fixed it it started fogging up inside. They say it's because the insurance didn't authorize them to use a factory part but another replacement. I don't care, juts get the damn thing fixed.
I noticed this morning that my blinker already gave up.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?
I like the Mini Coopers. I always have. But I probably could go and buy one right now, since they are not too expensive.
My dream car is a Bugatti. I saw one once and I knew that one day, when I am a Millionaire I will have one. It'll be made especially for me and fit perfectly. I can't wait.

Malina

heisst das Buch, dass ich gerade lese. Es ist von Ingeborg Bachman. Ich habe es schonmal in der 13. Klasse gelesen, im Deutsch LK.
Sehr interessant.
Normalerweise, wenn ich lese, versuche ich mich in die Hauptfigur, in diesem Fall "Ich" reinzufinden und mitzufuehlen, aber hier ist es sehr schwer.
Natuerlich ist es einfacher Malina zu verstehen wenn man es schonmal gelesen hat. Jetzt weiss ich ja das "Ich" und Malina eine Person sind.
Naja, ich habe es ja gerade erst angefangen und bin noch dabei mich reinzufuchsen.

Es war aber lustig das Buch aufzuschlagen und die ganzen Notizen in verschiedenen Farben zu sehen. Unser Lehrer hat uns angewoehnt nur mit dem Bleistift zu lesen. Es hat ganz schoen lange gedauert mir das wieder abzugewoehnen, aber manchmal mache ich es immer noch.

Wir haben's geschafft!!!

Ok, der Termin mit den boesen Bankleuten ist hinter uns. Ich kann es nicht glauben, aber der Kredit wurde bewilligt und somit steht dem Traum des Eigenheims nichts mehr im Weg.
Jetzt koennen wir uns daran machen uns um Farben zu streiten und was sonst noch alles anfaellt.
Das erste Problem: Der Teppich (aber das weiss er noch nicht).
Naja, zumindest sind wir uns ueber die Kueche, Badezimmer, und Lampen einig.

Today is the day

We will (hopefully) sign everyhting for our new-home-loan today!
I am kind of nervous, but I think it's going to be ok. I hope everything is going to work out like we planned (haha).
And then, after all is said and done and we just have to wait until the house is done!
I can't wait to move out of our place and into the new one!

Sexabenteuer in der St. Patrick's Cathedral

Gerade im Spiegel gefunden.
ich wars sehr ueberrascht, dass sowas auch in Deutschland berichtet wird.
Nachdem das Paerchen verhaftet und angeklagt wurde, wurden auch Opie und Anthony die Radiolizensen entzogen und sie sind seit dem "weg vom Fenster":. Sher shcade, da ich eigentlich fast jeden Tag reingeschlatet habe.